All CCO certifications comply with the current OSHA federal law that, as a result of OSHA's announced intent, would remain in effect until further notice. "We stand, now as always, behind the 130,000 certifications NCCCO has issued since 1996," Brent said. "No CCO certified operators need ever be concerned about the validity under federal law of their certification."

Brent stated that NCCCO supported, albeit reluctantly, OSHA's decision to postpone the effective date of the operator certification provision of the new rule.

"Although it is regrettable that it has taken OSHA so long to recognize that the industry has serious problems with the agency's stance on issues such as certifying by capacity and the meaning of certification, it is a vindication of the efforts of concerned industry stakeholders over the past 18 months to raise awareness on these matters that OSHA has, finally, taken notice."

OSHA has proposed adding an additional three years to the effective date (to 2017) to allow it time to develop rulemaking that will address issues such as certifying by crane capacity. At its meeting May 24, 2013 ACCSH make an alternative recommendation that the crane operator certification requirements be suspended until OSHA has completed its proposed rulemaking on the matter.

Members of the original committee established by OSHA--the C-DAC committee--have repeatedly stated it was not their intent to require operators to be certified by capacity in the way OSHA is now viewing it.

"NCCCO has stayed faithful to the wishes of industry and preserved the programs in the format that, over the last 17 years, has been proven to save lives and reduce accidents," Brent said. "And it will continue to do so."